Tuesday, January 08, 2008

VivoCity

In 2006, 9.7 million of tourists visited Singapore and spent an estimated S$12.4 billion (which is an average of S$ 1278.35 per tourist, or US$ 893.34 per tourist, or € 608.25 per tourist). To shop a lot in a humid and hot country, you’d better build big large and AC mall. VivoCity is the latest and most unique place to let your consumer maniac inside yourself behave. During its first month of opening (Dec 2006) the mall attracted 4.2 million visitors, which is the equivalent to the population of Singapore.

VivoCity is located at the HarbourFront Centre at the south tip of the island, in front of the Sentosa Island. VivoCity with its 1.5 million square feet of gross floor area and 1.1 million square feet of retail space is the largest shopping mall in town, a permanent place for sales and shopping galore. It was designed by the renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, cost S$417 million and was launched Dec 1st, 2006.

What is interesting in this shopping mall is its uneven, asymmetric, bubble shape and new idea that welcome you in a new village within its space. The 300 m long promenade, the shallow roof pool, the large roof top amphitheatre, the various playgrounds and the open spaces in the mall are also popular places with families and children alike in the mall to stay longer and therefore spend more cash.

Beside all the classic shopping mall you can imagine, few giant groceries malls, and load of parking palces VivoCity has Singapore's largest cinema multiplex with 15 screens and 2,293 seats by the cinematic company Golden Village. The experience at the Gold Class option, where you can have 180º leather seat with a warm blanket for your own pleasure while watching (sleeping) the movie, is just unique.

There are two giant food courts — a 2,200 square metres in Basement 2, called the Kopitiam, and another spread over 2,500 square metres called Food Republic food court in similar concept at its sister food court at Wisma Atria.

The main difference between the one that I practice on regular basis on Orchard road called Wisma Atria and VivoCity is the Carrot Cake and Laksa food stall. These two specialties are simply worth the cheap MRT trip after a blanket 180º leather seat movie.

What else to ask in this consumer paradise?

Maybe just to wish the Australian agency Woodhead good luck in its challenge to improve the signs at the VivoCity mall. Another reason people stay so long is because they get lost all the time.